


Unspeakable Appetites

by Not_You



Series: Multiplicity [5]
Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Discussion Of Murder, Discussion of Necrophilia, Gen, M/M, Multiple Personalities, alternate universe where hannibal isn't a murderer and all that stuff, the dragon is very fucked up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-09
Updated: 2020-11-09
Packaged: 2021-03-09 10:07:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27469237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Not_You/pseuds/Not_You
Summary: Hannibal and Doc have decided that they should be Francis & Company's friend, rather than their therapist.  So it's time for a lovely company dinner with the Great Red Dragon.(In short, hittooclosetohome reminded me that we've got a canonical DID case and that I should really see what Francis is getting up to in this universe.)
Relationships: Francis Dolarhyde/Reba McClane, Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter
Series: Multiplicity [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/548662
Comments: 48
Kudos: 85





	Unspeakable Appetites

Will is still not used to the Dragon, because the Dragon is fucking crazy. Yeah, that’s pretty rich coming from a guy living with Hannibal & Co., but none of Hannibal’s people put cotton wool in their ears to hide their thoughts, or wear Grandma’s fucked up dentures. And as far as he knows, none of them is a necrophile, though he’s sure the Cannibal will take what he can get. Will doesn’t _want_ to know that the Dragon likes a cold girl on a hot night, but early on one of the child selves (they’re still not sure how many there are) had sobbed something about being scared that the Dragon would hurt Ms. Reba. 

Some gentle questioning from Hannibal had teased out the truth. The Dragon thinks about Reba cool and still and perfectly silent, and the poor kid had cried and cried as he related this. And then the Dragon had come roaring to the front, furious at them for upsetting one of the little ones. And then they had had to keep him from some selves-harm when he had realized that he was the source of the upset. God, had _that_ been a shitshow. It’s a damn good thing that Hannibal is so good at pressure points, or they never would’ve had a chance to get to the Thorazine. A guy that built with that level of uninhibited rage is something Will hopes to never see again in his life.

Thank God, Sloane is dauntless. He had been plenty scared while the Dragon picked up Hannibal’s desk and got ready to throw it, but as soon as the drugs had started kicking in and the Dragon had collapsed, crying in a way that made it clear he was sharing space with one of the children, Sloane had come out of hiding and crawled into the Dragon’s arms, wagging his tail and licking the Dragon’s face. And it had been the Dragon’s face, all teeth and terrible febrile rage, until it had melted back into poor, sweet, shy Francis.

With all this behind them, Hannibal had decided a while ago to refer Francis to his own therapist, reasoning that Francis would get more out of being friends with another multiple and simultaneously getting good therapy. So, now they’re sitting here at the dinner table under the Dragon’s watchful gaze. Francis’s blue eyes look greener when the Dragon is fronting, and they have a weird, clear light that’s a little like the Cannibal, a little like the Sin Eater, and a little like a coyote.

“He’s beautiful,” the Dragon says, staring at Will but clearly talking to Hannibal about Will. Will does his best not to squirm under that terrible regard.

“He is,” Hannibal says, as if this is a totally normal conversation.

“Eyes like the lapis tiles of a Mediterranean mosaic,” he says, and his voice is very soft now, lulling in its strangeness. “Have you ever thought of keeping them?”

“I prefer to keep the whole man, in all his precious mortal inconvenience,” Hannibal says, and Will does his best not to even blink. He doesn’t actually think the Dragon will hurt him, but you never know…

The Dragon just nods. “I see,” he says, and finally looks away. Will feels like he can breathe again.

“It’s important to keep the people you like alive,” the Cannibal says, emerging from Hannibal’s twitching fingers and briefly dipping head, “they stay fresh that way.”

“I would never harm Miss Reba,” the Dragon says. “The children are silly to worry.”

“Kids are silly,” the Cannibal says, shrugging. “Will, are you going to eat that or not?”

“Got the company eyeing me up, and you eyeing my steak, can’t a man get any peace?”

“I appreciate works of art,” the Dragon says, sounding just a little bit genuinely hurt. “And I will fight the Cannibal if he tries to steal your steak.”

“Maybe you’re not so bad after all,” Will says.

The Dragon snarls at him. Not very angrily, more as a matter of form, and intones, “I am _terrible_ ” in that voice like rolling thunder that makes it clear that he means the word in an ‘Oz the Great and Terrible’ kind of way.

“Yeah, maybe so,” Will says, hoping that the way his heart has sped up isn’t obvious. To the Dragon; the Cannibal will know. He always does. Now he winks at Will, eyes aglow with red-tinted mischief.

For his part, the Dragon turns his attention to his plate with the air of a man who is certain that his fellow diners now understand him better. With no need to explain anything, he can just cut the steak into neat, bleeding bites, and eat it with his strangely perfect table manners. When the Cannibal is left to his own devices, he just picks things up in his hands and tears at them with his canines like a caveman or a goddamn werewolf, depending on how hungry he is. The Dragon seems to have held onto the table manners that Grandmother insisted upon. Continental, and very, very small bites. Elbows never anywhere near the surface of the table. Hannibal has already trained Will to put the napkin in his lap, but he seldom sees anyone else do it so readily.

“I think I like this one, Will,” the Cannibal says, and Will chuckles. “Bring your girlfriend next time,” he adds, speaking to the Dragon, “she sounds hot.”

There’s a moment of frozen silence that makes Will wonder if he’s going to have to dive for the taser Hannibal stashed here a long time ago, but then the Dragon says, “Francis doesn’t want me to kill you.” He doesn’t sound like this will necessarily stop him, but that it’s worthy of consideration.

“He doesn’t actually mean to be disrespectful,” Hannibal says, in a voice that lets Will know that Doc is riding along, “he’s just like that. We would all very much like to meet Reba, however.”

The Dragon at turns his attention back to his plate, and Will lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding.


End file.
